Short-billed Dowitcher

A medium to large shorebird with a long bill, the Short-billed Dowitcher is a common and conspicous migrant that uses a "sewing-machine" method of foraging across the mud flats. Its long bill is short only in comparison with the very similar Long-billed Dowitcher.

Measurements

Both Sexes

Length

9.8–11.4 in25–29 cm

Weight

3.2–4.2 oz 90–120 g

Other Names

Bécassin roux (French)

Agijeta gris, Costurero pico corto (Spanish)

Cool Facts

The nest and eggs of this species eluded discovery until 1906, and even that information was overlooked for a long while because they were attributed to the Long-billed Dowitcher. The nesting grounds of the eastern race were not discovered until the late 1950s.

Although both sexes share incubation of the eggs, only the male takes care of the young once they hatch.

The oldest recorded Short-billed Dowitcher was at least 13 years, 11 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Delaware.

Habitat

Marsh

Breeds in muskegs of taiga to timberline, and barely onto subarctic tundra.

Nest Description

Nest Placement

Behavior

Probing

Male sings in flight on breeding grounds.Probes deeply into soft substances to the depth of the bill, sometimes submerging the head. Food is captured and swallowed under the mud, except for worms, which are pulled to the surface. Feeds in water up to the depth of the belly.

Conservation

There is little information on Short-billed Dowitcher population trends. A 2012 study found no updated information, and so the latest population estimate is from 2006. At that time the North American breeding population was estimated to be 153,000 birds. After declines in the 1990s and 2000s, it appears that numbers are now similar to counts done in the 1980s. Three subspecies of Short-billed Dowitcher breed in North America. Overall, central and eastern populations appear stable, with the exception of ongoing declines since the 1970s in Ontario. It is not clear what population trends are in western populations. Short-billed Dowitcher is on the 2014 State of the BirdsWatch List, which lists bird species that are at risk of becoming threatened or endangered without conservation action.